Did you guys see Spencer, the Pablo Larrain film with Kristen Stewart playing Princess Diana? It wasn’t a great film by any means, but the whole thing takes place during the Windsors’ Christmas at Sandringham. Within the story, there are several real pieces of information: the strict Christmas lunch/dinner, weighing guests upon their arrival, the weirdness of the Sandringham estate. The scene where all of the food is brought in to be prepared by the kitchen staff is amazing. Anyway, I thought of that as I read this interesting piece about what the Windsors actually eat on Christmas Day in Sandringham. For Americans, it just sounds like a Thanksgiving meal (minus the pecan pie).

King Charles’ Christmas lunch meal has been revealed — and even his former chef isn’t impressed by what’s on the menu. Darren McGrady, 61, a Nottinghamshire chef who once cooked for members of the monarchy, opened up about the royal family’s holiday tradition in a new interview. The firm tends to celebrate at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, each year.

“It was the same meal every year. They’re actually boring when it comes to festivities. They didn’t do hams or anything, just traditional turkeys,” he recently told OK magazine.

He continued: “We did three turkeys for the queen and her family in the royal dining room, one for the children’s nursery and then more for the 100 or so staff, so everyone had a Christmas lunch.”

McGrady has also reportedly cooked for Princess Diana. Since Queen Elizabeth II’s death at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022, the chef expects that the king will stick to what he had last year. Most likely, his main course will be accompanied by mashed and roast potatoes, onion stuffing, brussel sprouts, carrots, roast parsnips and two sauces of either cranberry or bread.

Charles and his loved ones — Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton and the Cambridges’ children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, will have to make room for dessert though. Later in the evening, they will most likely feast on pudding, which tends to be brought into the dining room by the palace steward – hot and “flaming.”

The royal family’s big day actually kicks off with a personal breakfast before heading over to St. Mary Magdalene Church for an 11 a.m. service. After lunch and a supper filled with roasted hams and boar’s head, they all gather to watch the monarch’s Christmas message on television.

[From The NY Post]

So, wait, are they doing hams or not? The chef says it’s just about turkey, but then the Post says hams and boar’s head? I mean, it would make sense for such a large party to have two kinds of meat, surely, and I would imagine it would be turkey plus ham, or maybe a beef wellington or some kind of roast. As for all of the veggies… that sounds lovely. I could see how it could get boring for the chefs though, to cook the exact same things the exact same way, year after year. When QEII was alive, she reportedly wanted all of the food served very mild, without much or any spice. I wonder if Charles has changed that? He seems to have an even more delicate stomach than his mother, so probably not.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Judging from the general vibe and the palace briefing wars over the past fifteen months, it doesn’t seem like King Charles or Prince William spend too much time thinking about the Princess of Wales all that much. Kate has been effectively shoved away – she lives in her separation cottage, raises the kids with help of staff (who don’t live in Adelaide Cottage) and she spends a lot of time brainstorming with her grifter mother, who has also been politically neutered. If King Charles had his way, I suspect that keeping this status quo would be ideal. No messy divorce to pull focus, no need to drag the Middletons through the mud even further, no need to do anything at all with Kate. It’s worked out perfectly for everyone but Kate and her mother. There will be no divorce unless William wants out, and for the time being, that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. So this is what Kate gets: Charles’s general appreciation.

King Charles ‘appreciates the Princess of Wales for the solid family network’ she has given to Prince William and for showing his grandchildren a ‘normal’ life, a royal expert has claimed. The monarch – who turns 75 today – is said to be completely ‘devoted’ to his grandchildren and ‘admires’ Prince William and Kate Middleton’s parenting approach.

Speaking to OK!, royal expert Jennie Bond opened up about Charles and Kate’s relationship and how the Princess’ ‘normal’ background is benefitting Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five. She explained: ‘I think Charles admires and appreciates the solid family network she has created for William. The King is devoted to his grandchildren, George, Charlotte and Louis, and photographs show that he has an easy relationship with all three. I’m sure he is very proud of the way Kate is bringing them up.’

What’s more, the expert – who is the BBC’s former royal correspondent – highlighted how the Princess of Wales had to learn exactly what it means to be a member of the Royal Family. Having grown up out of the limelight, Jennie labelled the Princess of Wales the ‘perfect person’ to help her children understand their roles in the Firm.

She added: ‘I think Kate is key to providing a balanced upbringing for her children, but particularly for a boy born to be King. She has learned what it means to be royal – the restrictions as well as the privileges.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Charles was coddled by his grandmother and assorted surrogate mother/nanny figures, Camilla included. William, in turn, looked to be coddled by his surrogate mother figure, Carole Middleton. Meanwhile, who coddles George, Charlotte and Louis? They really don’t have anyone in the Windsor clan giving them “royal lessons” like Charles and William received. And no, Charles is not a doting grandfather. He doesn’t give a f–k about his sons, why would he bother with his grandchildren? He went out of his way to evict his grandchildren from their secure home in England. Anyway, all of Jennie Bond’s dumbass commentary is pointing at this: Kate is the one raising the kids while William is off doing god knows what with god knows who.

Also: it’s been almost six months since Charles sent the dogs after Kate for upstaging him at the Chelsea Flower Show. I honestly don’t think Kate has ever recovered!!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Instar and Cover Images.

Hannah Waddingham loves a festive look! (She’s been promoting her Christmas special in New York, that’s why she looks like a Christmas present.) [GFY]
Review of American Fiction, which I cannot wait to see! [Pajiba]
Q&A with artist Kyle Meyer. [OMG Blog]
The trailer for Nicole Kidman’s new miniseries, Expats. [LaineyGossip]
Funny tweets from and about women. [Buzzfeed]
Demi Lovato’s ex Max Ehrich denies talking sh-t about Demi’s engagement. [JustJared]
Michael B. Jordan is being investigated for his Ferrari accident. [Socialite Life]
Travis Kelce talked about Taylor Swift getting booed in Boston. [Hollywood Life]
South Park: Not Suitable for Children sounds gross. [Seriously OMG]
Emma Stone in Dior, Cate Blanchett in Louis Vuitton, both in London. [RCFA]

Mariah Carey covered some special Christmas issue of People Magazine, and I believe that’s how People Mag got the “tip” that Mariah and Bryan Tanaka had split. From the sound of it, they broke up months ago and the whole thing was barely a story because… honestly, people forgot they were together. They’ve been together since 2016 (they got together quickly in the wake of her split from James Packer) but they’ve never been joined at the hip, and it seemed more like a relationship of convenience and stable PR more than anything else. My point is that no one really gave a sh-t about Bryan apart from Mariah, but now we’re getting “his side” of the breakup. Apparently, he wants children.

Mariah Carey and her longtime boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka, have called it quits because he wanted kids, a source tells Page Six exclusively. We are told that the age gap of 14 years played a role with Tanaka, 40, wanting different things than Carey, 54.

“He wants to have a family. That’s not where she is at,” says the source.

Carey shares 12-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with her ex-husband Nick Cannon. Tanaka, on the other hand, does not have children of his own.

The “Fantasy” singer and backup dancer were together for seven years.

Eyebrows were raised this week when the Queen of Christmas went on her annual trip to Aspen, Colo., solo. Tanaka was also missing from her “Merry Christmas One and All!” tour that started in November at the Yaamava Resort & Casino in Highland, Calif.

“He wants to start having his own life,” another source told us of the split.

[From Page Six]

This is something of a trend this year too – men initiating a split or divorce because they suddenly realize that they want to be a father. It was the same with Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara. Like… did Bryan just realize that after seven years with Mariah? I don’t know – it is what it is, if he wants something different or he just realized that he wants to be a father, so be it. Y’all know that Mariah wants no part in having another round of Dem Babies. You know what? I kind of hope Bryan got a nice check to go away quietly and not make too much noise. I wonder.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid, Bryan’s Instagram.

Mike and Zara Tindall sat down for a podcast interview this week, and it turned out to be a headline-generator. Yesterday, we talked about Mike’s nickname for Prince William – “One Pint Willy” – and what it could possibly mean that William is apparently a “bad drinker.” In the interview, Zara also discussed what it was like to grow up the daughter of Princess Anne, but without a title. Anne rejected titles for her children, which allowed them to make all kinds of business deals. Zara is a professional equestrian and she’s had lucrative sponsorships and brand deals for years.

Zara Tindall has revealed she’s ‘lucky’ that Princess Anne didn’t give her a royal title as she spoke candidly about her family in a new podcast. The mother-of-three and her husband Mike, who live in Princes Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire, were interviewed by former rugby player Rob Burrow on his Total Sport podcast. During the discussion, Rob – who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019 – asked the couple what advice they would give to their seven-year-old selves.

Although she was originally daunted by the question, Zara went on to discuss her role in the Institution – and how happy she is that Princess Anne didn’t force her and her brother Peter to be working royals.

She explained: ‘From my point of view, I was obviously very lucky that my mother didn’t give us any titles so I really commend her on that. We were very lucky that we got to do it a bit our own way. My family has a great work ethic as well which I’m hoping they instilled in me and is still going to this day. Hopefully, we can pass it onto our kids. Now, my brother and my cousins love to go back and do the same things and I hope that our children have the same experiences that we did when we were growing up. You don’t really appreciate that until you’re older and you’ve got kids.’

[From The Daily Mail]

“My family has a great work ethic…” I mean, her mother has a great work ethic. Her uncle, the king, has a good work ethic. Not so much with her cousins. But at the end of the day, Anne really knew what she was doing by raising her kids as “normal” rather than royal. Zara and Peter get all of the perks of royalty – all of the big invitations, all of the attention that comes with being royal-adjacent – and they still get to make their own money and they’re not being manipulated by King Charles. Plus, now that QEII has passed, I get the feeling that Zara, Mike and Peter feel like “anything goes” with their money-making schemes. Mike seems especially desperate for any kind of paying gig.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

I think we all can agree that Elon Musk has had a banner year. In 2023, he destroyed Twitter, got into a custody battle with Grimes, supported Ron DeSantis for president, promoted anti-vaxx conspiracies, challenged Mark Zuckerberg to a cage match, got clowned for messing with President Zelenskyy, sued Media Matters, re-platformed a walking piece of sh-t, launched an ugly apocalypse-ready Cybertruck, and endorsed anti-Semitic propaganda. And those are only the things that came to me off the top of my head. 2023 was a hectic one for Apartheid Clyde.

It’s been such a busy year for Forbes’ second richest person in the world that one of my favorites, John Oliver, took notice. On Last Week Tonight’s final episode of the year, Oliver did what he does best and spent more than 30 minutes spotlighting Space Karen. It was a pretty informative takedown, if for nothing else (there was plenty else) than to really highlight the Before/After of Elno’s hair plugs. Anyway, Musk proved once again that while a billion dollars may buy you a lot of things, it will never buy you a sense of self-awareness. He’s big mad that Oliver read him for filth.

Elon Musk is laughing off — but not laughing at — John Oliver’s 30-minute rant, in which the comedian referred to the tech mogul as “erratic,” “self-serving” and “increasingly racist.”

When a social media user reposted an article on X, formerly known as Twitter, about Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” segment, asking, “Oh no, how will Elon ever recover?,” the SpaceX founder replied with crying-laughing emojis. He then hit back at the British comic, writing, “Oliver was great several years ago, but stopped being funny when he sold his soul to wokeness where humor is basically illegal.”

Oliver began his discussion about Musk, 52, on his HBO late night talk show Monday by comparing the South African businessman to “any bad guy in a movie” like DC Comics’ Lex Luthor, villains in James Bond flicks and Billy Zane’s character in “Titanic.”

“Truly, the man has range,” he quipped, causing the audience to erupt into laughter. Oliver, 46, then delved into several of Musk’s career downfalls, noting in part that ever since the latter’s acquisition of Twitter, “It has been one fiasco after another with the most recent coming when he tweeted his agreement with this antisemitic post.”

He also spoke of Musk chastising advertisers who threatened to pull out of his social media platform over the antisemitism backlash, claiming the X owner was pulling the “you’re not breaking up with me, I’m breaking up with you card” while wearing a jacket from “Ralph Lauren’s midlife crisis collection.”

Oliver also called out Musk’s early business failures such as when he sold Tesla cars in advance to customers at one price point and then elevated the cost in what even he admitted was a “bait-and-switch.”

The talk show host then trolled Tesla’s cybertruck, saying, “Who on earth actually wants to spend up to $100,000 to drive every child’s first attempt at drawing a car?”

Referencing Musk’s company SpaceX, which is the world’s most dominant satellite company, Oliver added, “The problem isn’t just the optics of having someone as erratic as Elon in charge of half the world’s satellites. His opinions can change the shape of world events.”

He also quoted Musk’s biographer, Walter Isaacson, who once said the mogul likes “drama.”

“He loves drama? I’m sorry, I’m really not that comfortable with one of the most powerful people on earth being summed up the same way you describe Andy Cohen on New Year’s Eve,” Oliver said. “I’ll be honest, my feelings about Elon changed a bit in the writing of this piece. I’m probably now more impressed by what he’s doing, but more worried by the fact that he’s the one who’s been doing it.”

The comedian then concluded, “The least surprising thing on earth is a middle-aged billionaire CEO with self-serving libertarian views, increasingly racist politics and a messiah complex.”

Although Musk appeared only a bit miffed by Oliver’s criticism, a writer who profiled him recently shared that he believes the world’s richest man “truly cares about his reputation.” Author Ben Mezrich, who penned “Breaking Twitter,” claimed Musk once spiraled after he was booed at Dave Chapelle’s show in San Francisco last December.

[From Page Six]

Ooooh noes the big ol’ bad wokeness virus strikes again! Didn’t Elno say in that exhausting Joe Rogan interview that he bought Twitter to save us all from the “woke mind virus” that will cause a zombie apocalypse? Nothing Oliver said was wrong. If you go back up and look at what I listed in (somewhat) close to chronological order, you’d see exhibits A-J of “erratic,” “self-serving libertarian” and “increasingly racist.” At this point, the word woke has been thrown around so flippantly that it has to be losing its scariness for anyone who isn’t “the base” (you know who I’m talking about).

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

2023 was a pretty quiet year for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. They married in the summer of 2022 and they got a blitz of attention and media, then they just… focused on their work and figuring out their blended family. They’ve made appearances on each other’s red carpets and they’ve done a few events together, but their marriage has not been pap stroll after pap stroll. They’re older and wiser now – they know how to hide, they can insulate themselves with their money, and they’re both more comfortable in themselves and in their relationship. Well, J.Lo has This Is Me… Now coming out – an album and a short film – in February. To hype those projects, Jennifer chatted with Variety:

Jennifer Lopez admits not everyone in her camp initially supported the idea to document her romance with husband Ben Affleck in her upcoming “This Is Me… Now” album and companion film.

“As artists, we have to follow our heart and this is me following my heart and doing something that maybe everybody didn’t think was the best idea, but I had to do it,” Lopez tells me.

Lopez is set to drop “This Is Me… Now,” a new album that marks the 20th anniversary of “This Is Me…Then,” on Feb. 16. The Dave Meyers-directed companion short film will be released at the same time by Amazon MGM Studios.

Sure, Lopez has some worries about putting her and Affleck’s life in the spotlight because “we both have PTSD” caused by the media scrutiny they endured back when they first dated, she said, “but we’re older now. We’re wiser. We also know what’s important, what’s really important in life, and it’s not so much what other people think. It’s about being true to who you are.”

Asked if the film is a scripted feature or doc, Lopez explained, “You have to see it and you’ll have to experience it to understand it. That’s why I call it a ‘musical experience.’ Because there’s music, you can see it, you can hear it and then you’ll get to live it.”

A recent teaser for the film included a clip of Lopez saying, “When I was a little girl, when someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always… in love.”

[From Variety]

“We both have PTSD” – I can see that, and they both went running in opposite directions for years after their split. I talked about this before, but when I watched J.Lo’s Halftime documentary, they included clips of the aggressively racist coverage of Bennifer 1.0 and it really was shocking to look back at it now. I lived through it and even I forgot how bad it was. Like, it was so normalized circa 2002-03, to refer to Jennifer as “the maid,” or Ben’s “spicy senorita” and no one was even doing dog-whistles, it was just blatantly vile sh-t. And I do think they’re older and wiser now. Their “revival” love story is great.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, J.Lo’s Instagram.

The Princess of Wales barely works, and when she is seen at an event in recent years, everyone holds their breath to see what she’s pulled from her Meghan Lookbook. We usually get “Kate’s year in fashion” pieces this time of year, and usually those articles are summaries of coatdresses and Sister Wife looks. But now that she’s Princess of Wales, the Meghan cosplay is increasingly outrageous, as is the fact that few British outlets call out Kate for her shameless single-white-female-ing. Speaking of, Tatler wrote this with a straight face: “Is the Princess of Wales the queen of quiet luxury? Kate’s 2023 wardrobe has oozed enough ‘silent expensiveness’ to thrill even Shiv Roy.” Sidenote: referring to Shiv Roy as a quiet luxury icon is hilarious given that Shiv’s wardrobe was mostly a reflection of the character’s failed attempts to be taken seriously. Shiv wore boxy, ill-fitting power suits and tried to neuter her femininity with high-neck knits.

From Loro Piana to Max Mara, Toteme to The Row, 2023 saw the final skulking shift from opulent to discreet, extravagant to understated. Where once the rich and important strived to flaunt what they had with regal colours and jewels, and then big brands and flashy labels, this era is all about authentic elegance and timeless pieces. And the Princess of Wales’s wardrobe evolution tracks just so: from preppy princess in Emilia Wickstead, to stealth wealth in Sezanne. Where Queen Elizabeth II was beloved for her bouclé suits in bold colours, Kate is carving out a new style identity according to the council of the Roys, not the Royals.

[Kate’s] neutral palette is certainly a divergence from the saccharine pastels and patterns that became synonymous with Kate in previous years.

[From Tatler]

I’m including some photos of the looks referenced in Tatler’s piece, plus some of Kate’s other 2023 looks which don’t fit the “quiet luxury” theme. For example, Kate’s coronation look, in which she had a designer make a fake headpiece with some glitter and glue gun. Or Kate’s recent copypasta at the Together at Christmas event, where she tried to put her stink on one of Meghan’s Invictus looks. One thing I’ll give Kate (slightly) is that she really leaned into pantsuits this year, and some of her suits were even flattering. Some were not. It really did feel like she was attempting a more “modern workwear” vibe rather than just wearing endless custom McQueen coatdresses constantly. Finally, trousers in her 40s. Who would have thought. PS… I totally forgot about Kate’s BAFTA look, with those gloves!! YIKES.

Note by CB: Get the Top 10 stories about Kate copying Meghan’s style when you subscribe to our mailing list! I only send one email a day on weekdays.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

From CB: I bought this Shark bagless vacuum almost a month ago and it’s still on sale for 40% off. It’s incredible how much dust and dog hair it picks up every time and it has great suction. I recently replaced my hand soap pumps with these silver and gold clear glass versions to make my bathroom decor look classier than having the default SoftSoap bottles. They both work great and are easy to refill. Here are some more things Rosie and I are looking at on Amazon. It’s probably too late to get Christmas presents but some of these items would be great for the after Christmas season.

A $55 juicer to help your family get healthier in the new year

From CB: This Hamilton Beach juicer is under $55 and would be a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your family’s diet in the new year. It’s dishwasher safe and comes with a brush for cleaning the blade. This listing has over 36,700 ratings, 4.4 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say this juicer is easy to clean, makes a lot of juice and holds up over time. “I have been using this every morning to make my fruit and vegetable juice and I must say it is amazing. It is quick it is easy it works really well very easy to clean.” “I LOVE it. It was easy to put together, instructions were clear, and though others explained how “messy” juicing could be (and I did make a little mess, but nothing serious), this juicer is pretty tough to go wrong with.”

A mini chopper and meat grinder for under $23

From CB: This mini food processor by trusted brand Mueller is under $23. It’s said to be great for chopping nuts, mincing meat and making guacamole, hummus and more. It comes in 1.5 and 3 cup sizes. This listing has 3,200 ratings, 4..3 stars and a B on Fakespot. People love it and say it has a small footprint and works great. “I love this little thing. I needed a food processor for a few recipes (blending beans for black bean burgers, etc.) and this works perfectly! I didn’t need to spend a ton of money on a full sized processor so I’m SO glad that I found this. It’s nice and small.” “Great mini food processor that has a small footprint. Mostly use for mincing onions and other vegetables. Works really efficiently and takes little time to chop things fine. Also used recently to mince cooked chicken and pork, and again it did the job quickly.”

An easy to learn family friendly game that you’ll want to play every weekend

From CB: Codenames is a party game where two teams work together to unmask “agents” known only by their code names. It’s said to be easy to learn, fun, and great for parties. It’s rated for ages 10 and up. This is one of the most popular board games on Amazon and has a whopping 29,700 ratings, 4.8 stars and an A on Fakespot. Reviewers say it’s so much fun that they want to have company over more often. “We’ve had this game so I bought another recently as a secret santa gift. We’ve had so many fun nights playing against other couples or guys vs girls, etc. It’s pretty easy to pick up the rules and fascinating to see how your significant other/ friends’ brains work.” “We love it! Perfect game for a friends night over.”

Golf ball markers with easy to see designs

From CB: Golf ball markers are something I did not know existed until now! They would make a great gift for a golf enthusiast (this set will arrive after Christmas) and look fun to use. You get a set of 10 and they come in a variety of designs, all under $11. These have 2,200 ratings, 4.7 stars and an A on Fakespot. People say they work great and that they give them to friends they’re golfing with. “I bought these to keep in my bag and since they were a pack of ten, I am able to give them to people who forget their markers. I highly recommend. They are nice and flat and sturdy.” “Cute idea, they show up well on the green.”

A digital picture frame that’s easy to upload pictures to

From Rosie: My sisters and I got this digital picture frame as a gift for my grandma’s 90th birthday in 2020. Since she couldn’t see everyone as often during the pandemic, we are able to (and still do) upload pictures to it through an app. It’s pretty cool and we ended up getting another one for my parents that Christmas. It has a 4.7 star rating, more than 1,000 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. People love how easy it is to use, as well as the picture quality. “This frame makes for a great gift to family and friends that are far away. You can upload photos and they’ll show up instantly. The picture quality is great! Totally worth the money.” “I love the frame. Easy to set up and the app is easy to use also.” “I got this for my mom for her birthday and she loves it. I can still upload pictures using the app even when I’m in a different state. I uploaded about 200+ pictures and there is still so much room on this thing!”

An affordable primer that makes your skin so smooth

From Rosie: I mentioned this in yesterday’s post about Elf’s affordable dupes, but I had to pick this up in a pinch while I was traveling because I’d forgotten my hydrating primer at home. It’s now a permanent fixture in my travel bag because it’s awesome. It’s made my skin so smooth and for me, worked particularly well with concealer underneath my eyes. It’s pretty affordable at only $10. There are two other types, as well, their acne-fighting primer and a universal glow primer. It has a 4.4 star rating, 44,000 reviews and a B on Fakespot. Users love how much better it makes their skin look. “Not greasy, very light, does good job as makeup primer and makes skin look better with no makeup too.” “I barely wear make up. Two reasons are: I don’t really know how and I have very sensitive skin. I’ve tried few primers and this one is the only one that won’t irritate my skin.” “I was looking for a good primer for the area around my eyes and this product coupled with the brush works very well. My concealer and eyeshadow look much smoother throughout the day. Recommend.”

Packing Cubes to make packing and traveling easier and more organized

From Rosie: I’m going to be doing some traveling next year and after hearing so much about how life-changing packing cubes can be, I decided to buy a set. I also got them for my mom as a Christmas present. This set of cubes helps you sort and organize your items when you’re packing, which everyone tells me helps you fit more things into your luggage. They come in 13 different colors and right now, there’s a 20% off coupon. They have a 4.7 star rating, more than 11,600 reviews, and a B on Fakespot. Travelers who’ve bought them like how much easier packing is with them. “They’re such good quality. They’re perfect for packing a lot of items in a suitcase or duffle bag. These are definitely a travel must have! You’re able to organize your bag and pack so much more!” “I didn’t know just how useful these would be. The variety in sizes work perfectly for all sorts of items including toiletries, shoes, shirts, sweaters etc…Just helps to stay organized and makes packing your luggage a lot easier and faster.”

An insulated tumbler with a handle and a straw lid

From Rosie: I found this 40 oz tumbler while looking for gifts for my MIL, who wanted a new water bottle. It’s stainless steel and looks super practical since it has both a handle and a lid for a straw. It’s also dishwasher safe, cup holder friendly, and can hold hot or cold liquids. I think it would make a great gift. There are 35 different colors to choose from and an option to get it personalized, though personalization would not be a part of Prime’s 2-day shipping. It has a over 18,000 reviews, 4.8 stars and the same score on Review Meta. People love the quality of this tumbler. “This is THE cup!!!! I left this cup in my car in Florida heat for an entire day while I went to the Disney parks, it was about 95° outside and at the end of the day when I returned to my car I took a sip in the water still had ICE IN IT!!!!” “The Simple Modern Tumbler has been an absolute game-changer for me. Its insulation is top-notch, keeping my drinks hot or cold for hours, far outperforming other tumblers I’ve tried. The design is both modern and practical, fitting comfortably in my hand and in car cup holders.” “One of my favorite features is the straw with its silicone seal – it’s incredibly leak-proof, ensuring that not a drop of my beverage escapes unless I want it to.”

Back in the day, Robert DeNiro used to be a strong silent type when it came to talking about himself or promoting his films. For most of my life, DeNiro came across as grumpy and uncommunicative in interviews. But there’s been a real shift in recent years. I kind of think it was because of Donald Trump. DeNiro loathes Trump with every fiber of his being, and for the past six years or so, DeNiro has used his promotional interviews to talk about politics and how Trump f–king sucks. It’s pretty great, actually. Well, here’s another one for the pile – DeNiro spoke to Rolling Stone about Killers of the Flower Moon, his family and how Trump can absolutely never get near the White House again.

His busy 2023, which saw him welcome a baby girl & lose a grandson: “It’s a lot. I have no choice but to plow through. And my biggest concern now, with everything else, is us getting out of this situation with a monster in Trump. This is a classic grift. This is unreal. If you look at other totalitarian countries like Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union, it will affect everybody in ways you can’t even imagine.”

His new daughter Gia DeNiro is half-Asian: “Half-Chinese. I want to try to teach her Chinese and show her nursery rhymes in English and Chinese. I’m hoping to have her learn both.

He also has half-Black kids: “Years ago, Joe Pesci said to me, “You’re more American than most Americans,” because I had two children at the time that were mixed. And I never thought of it at all. But then I said, “You know, he’s got a point.” That’s what this country is. But every group has to get out there and vote.

His recent Gotham Awards speech was censored: “What happened was I was working on the speech with a writer, Lewis Friedman, and he gave it to them, and then one of the consultants had put something in the speech about how kids in Oklahoma aren’t even able to read the book Killers of the Flower Moon. And then I didn’t hear anything. They gave me the script, and I looked at the prompter, and I asked after, “What happened?” And they assumed that I had spoken to Marty or somebody about it, but I hadn’t. They assumed that I would be OK with it, and maybe I’m still getting it wrong, and I wasn’t. Marty and I spoke about it the next day and he said, “Yeah, I had sent you a text and [Apple] asked if you could dial it down, respectfully.”

It was probably Apple’s fault. “I didn’t even want to blame [Apple], but I was annoyed in the moment with whoever did it. If Marty had called me and said, “Apple asked me to do this and that,” then we would’ve gone over it. But I told Marty, “Everything in that speech is leading up to what this movie is about. And I don’t want to take away from the movie. It’s not a rant about Trump. It’s appropriate.”

Losing some fans because he speaks out about Trump: “You can’t please everybody. There’s always going to be somebody who doesn’t like you for this or that. All I know is: Trump brings out the worst in people. He’s a monster. I didn’t think that in the beginning when he was first elected. I thought, “Maybe he’ll straighten out.” Now, this guy is beyond dangerous, and I just hope people can realize it. Once you go down that road, it won’t be easy to come back. I was just at the White House for the Kennedy Center Honors with Billy Crystal, and I got emotional. The bands were playing Christmas songs, and it was so upbeat, and I thought, “This is what it has to be.” Like, what’s going on with this Trump stuff? This is crazy.

Whether he thinks Pres. Biden is the right guy to take on Trump: “I think that if Biden was on a gurney and couldn’t move anything but his eyes to blink “yes” or “no,” he’s our person. There’s no way that he’s not the guy to take Trump down. Nikki Haley, maybe? We need anything to get rid of Trump. If she came in it could at least throw him off and have her be the nominee. But Biden is the best person at this point. All I hope is that everybody gets out to vote, and all the minorities and young people get out and vote, vote, vote. You’ve gotta get out there and vote.

On January 6th: “It’s unbelievable. There was the crazy one with the hat and the horns. It was the inmates running the asylum.

Killers of the Flower Moon: “I think it’s a masterpiece. A great movie. I don’t know how corrective it will ultimately be, but the story is there and it’s for the audience to decide how it affects them. With Marty and Leo, it was their idea to change it so that the white guy from the FBI named Tom White didn’t come in and save the day. It’s about the relationship between Ernest and his uncle, and Ernest and Mollie, played by Lily Gladstone, who’s just wonderful. It’s complex and asks a lot of questions. The conflict is not even that clear with Leo’s character’s intentions.

[From Rolling Stone]

There’s a lot more about his relationship with Marty Scorsese, growing up in New York, and at one point, the RS interviewer mentions that Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle is sort of the proto-incel, and DeNiro asks what “incel” means. When it’s explained to him – “It means ‘involuntary celibate.’ It’s a group of young men, primarily online, who have become hostile toward women because they can’t attract them and start sh-tposting about politics while fantasizing about exacting violent revenge” – DeNiro answers with “Yeah, I can see that.”

As for what he says about Trump and politics – I laughed out loud at “I think that if Biden was on a gurney and couldn’t move anything but his eyes to blink ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ he’s our person.” Amen. I feel the same way. Do I think Biden is a perfect Democrat? Of course not, but he’s empathetic and intelligent and he’s got a great team around him, and “any Democrat with a pulse” is better than Donald Trump.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.